Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      The little-known company disrupting Eskom’s monopoly

      16 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Beijing’s chip champions blacklisted by Taiwan

      16 June 2025

      Chief sub-editor wanted – help shape South African tech media

      16 June 2025
    • World

      Yahoo tries to make its mail service relevant again

      13 June 2025

      Qualcomm shows off new chip for AI smart glasses

      11 June 2025

      Trump tariffs to dim 2025 smartphone shipments

      4 June 2025

      Shrimp Jesus and the AI ad invasion

      4 June 2025

      Apple slams EU rules as ‘flawed and costly’ in major legal pushback

      2 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025

      South Africa unveils big state digital reform programme

      12 May 2025

      Is this the end of Google Search as we know it?

      12 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025

      TCS | Sentiv, and the story behind the buyout of Altron Nexus

      3 June 2025

      TCS | Signal restored: Unpacking the Blue Label and Cell C turnaround

      28 May 2025
    • Opinion

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025

      Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

      29 May 2025

      Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

      14 April 2025

      Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

      9 April 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » News » Telkom bypasses unions with severance offer

    Telkom bypasses unions with severance offer

    By Duncan McLeod24 July 2015
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp
    Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko
    Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko

    Despite union objections, Telkom has announced it is extending voluntary severance and early retirement packages to all employees, including those that belong to trade unions.

    The decision to offer packages to all staff, included unionised employees, is “not one we took lightly”, said company spokesman Jacqui O’Sullivan.

    “We did so not only in the best interest of the business but also in response to our people. Many Telkom employees have expressed a desire to take a [package] and to pursue a new path, outside of the company,” she said. “We have carefully considered the demand by organised labour to withdraw the initial invitations for non-unionised employees to apply for packages and we cannot agree to this.”

    The move comes less than two weeks after Telkom suspended a section 189 retrenchment process under instruction from the labour court. It decided at the time to offer voluntary packages to all non-unionised full-time employees, but has now decided to extend the offer to unionised staff, too, despite objections from the unions.

    It had always been Telkom’s intention to offer the voluntary packages, which the company has described as “generous”, to all employees.

    About 60% of Telkom’s workforce is unionised. The three recognised trade unions are Solidarity, the South African Communications Union and the Communication Workers Union.

    “Telkom met with organised labour on 21 July in an attempt to secure permission from organised labour to extend the [packages] to unionised Telkom employees. No progress was made,” O’Sullivan said.

    “Telkom offered to meet again and agreed to a request by organised labour for the group CEO, Sipho Maseko, to attend. The meeting took place yesterday (23 July) and once again, despite long and robust discussions, no agreement was reached. The unions refused to allow their members access to the voluntary packages.”

    Despite this, she said Telkom has received hundreds of applications for the packages from unionised employees. “We cannot ignore them. We believe that organised labour’s refusal to allow the invitation to be extended to union members is unreasonable, unfair and highly prejudicial to those union members,” O’Sullivan said.

    “For that reason, Telkom has decided to extend the invitation to apply for … packages to all employees, including union members, with immediate effect. Their applications will be considered on the same basis as applications from employees who are non-union members.”

    She said Telkom leadership has so far approved 96,3% of applications for voluntary severance and early retirement packages from non-unionised staff.

    The closing date for applications is 27 July at 5pm.  — © 2015 NewsCentral Media

    • See also: Staff cuts, wage freeze planned at Telkom


    CWU Sacu Sipho Maseko Solidarity Telkom
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleA solution to SA’s power crisis
    Next Article Naspers sorry for its role in apartheid

    Related Posts

    TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

    16 June 2025

    MVNO boom is reshaping South Africa’s mobile market

    12 June 2025

    Watch | Lunga Siyo on Telkom’s big growth plans

    11 June 2025
    Company News

    Huawei Watch Fit 4 Series: smarter sensors, sharper design, stronger performance

    13 June 2025

    Change Logic and BankservAfrica set new benchmark with PayShap roll-out

    13 June 2025

    SAPHILA 2025 – transcending with purpose, connection and AI-powered vision

    13 June 2025
    Opinion

    Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

    2 June 2025

    South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

    2 June 2025

    Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

    29 May 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.